how creative are you at work?

gravy board 3/25. inspired by artist, candychang.com

possessing creativity is not only about being able to draw or paint. being creative is a way of thinking.

don't feel creative in your everyday workday? why not take a hint from Google and try out "20pc time?" Google has long allowed their employees to use 20 percent of their time working on projects that interest them apart from work. maybe you've heard of Gmail or Google News: they're a result of 20pc time.

so why not make room in your workday for non-work activities? when i refinish furniture, do yoga or color with my kids, i find i'm more inspired, more motivated, more open to ideas.

have you always wanted to learn how to make furniture? knit? be in a running group? as a coworking community, we have the power to harness this collective creative energy on a personal level as well. so tell us what you're into, what you've always wanted to try, share what you have a passion for outside of work. we're interested in joining you on your creative journey!

coworking 101

So. You're interested in coworking.
You're taking a risk and checking out our coworking jelly.
So far, so good. You're in control. All is well.
Until you arrive.
What do you do? Where do you go? How's this thing work?

We get these questions often prior or upon entry to our space. Most of us are used to some kind of structure. But besides the initial greet, sign in and business card pin-up, the rest is up to you. Do you want to focus and work quietly? You can do that. Do you want to meet new people and share in conversation? You can do that too. Just don't forget to "rest" and "refuel" as you go!

To help you along, here's a bit of a coworking 101 for you:

1. ENTER.
Meet/greet optional
Check bulletin board for news/updates/events
Find your spot, setup shop and start working

2. GET CONNECTED.
WIFI: UserID/password on board
People: meet/greet your coworkers. Keep it short and out of quiet zone

3. BE AWARE OF SOUND.
Employ audio etiquette
Take calls out front our outside

4. BE CONSIDERATE.
Share the space
Take care of the space

5. PARTICIPATE!
Contribute your knowledge
Add to the community board
Connect with people
Bounce off ideas
Have fun!

think | make | inspire : diy dry erase board

have you seen the prices on dry erase boards? what a serious rip. 

after a craigslist search full of unworthies, i got serious. enter google and "diy dry erase boards." one look at this and i was on a mission. i found out that dry erase works on glass. glass, friends!  i recognized brittini's name from the oh hello friend's blog which is always full of amazing design/craft ideas and clean + simple photography. 

so i went a thrifting. i wanted something large scale, possibly free standing and full on cheap. $25 later, i took the 36x40 frame home with giggles + diy butterflies in the tummy. i broke it apart and decided to spraypaint the matting and artwork. after it was all nice + white, it looked like a mistake - like an empty picture frame you see at the store waiting to be bought. i wanted the board to feel purposeful, not accidental. good thing i picked up some $2 linen fabric (tablecloth) from my kids' school's thrift store JIC. a wash, dry and iron later, i put the final product together. and the kids can't get their markers off of it!

before: tacky art in amazing silver frame

after: fun for the whole family!

gravy inspirations

 via designer jason taylor

2011 coworking unconference: sharing and coworking

one of the most inspiring sessions i attended at the coworking unconference last week was about sharing. 

in the toddler years, we teach kids to share. take your turn, be patient, she'll share with you too. what happened to this sharing spirit as we become adults? we live in a culture that's more about this is mine, that's yours; you stay on your side, i'll stay on mine. 

excitingly, this is changing. sharing, swapping and bartering has become an alternative currency and is sparking a new economy. ever do a clothing swap? trade for business services? offer up your grandmother's bureau on freecycle? then you, my friend have been participating in collaborative consumption!

coworking is a part of this new sharing economy - the sharing of space, resources, ideas. how can coworking spaces continue to promote sharing for not only the benefit of its' coworkers but for the larger community as well? 

neil at shareable design was leading the final breakout session on the rooftop of the hanger lounge in austin. the sun was setting, it was getting cold, energy appeared to be fading. but all of a sudden a renewed vitality appeared when ideas were tossed out about how coworking communities can continue this sharing spirit.

how about food sharing like grubly? here, local chefs get together to make and share their dishes with a community of people. form a meetup like this near you!

what about instituting a time dollars system where swapping for services is not just one to one but within a group? the web designer helps the photographer who helps the artist. being a mom, i liken it to babysitting swaps.

what about a hosting a pop up shop saturday? temporarily sharing space with another business for mutual benefit. 

why couldn't a coworking space copy lululemon's free yoga saturdays? find one near you, get a workout and recenter yourself to allow more creative sharing ideas to come!

c'mon, you like to share. hit the buttons below :)

Money Monday

Did you know that startups are at a 15 year high? Why? Unemployment rate is at its highest. So what do people do?...become entrepreneurs and create their own jobs.

What does this tell you? It's never too late to start your own business.

Don't be afraid to bring out your idea, start something new, or take a venture.

Really, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Financial markets: oil at a high and stocks taking a dive. How do we hedge against this, we buy commodity funds. Wow...gold still reaching another all time high!

ie. If we're paying more $ at the gas station, we may as well buy up the oil stock to make up for it. So really, there is a win situation.

carlsbad coworking jelly-"productive?"

inaugural jelly - workin the coworkin

hello jelly friends! yep, that's you in the picture. live and in jelly-o.

prepping for last friday's inaugural jelly filled us with feelings of anticipation, excitement and a little uncertainty. how's this all going to go down? how many people are going to show? are we gonna get punk'd?

one person i met noticed the fact that the people at one end of the table were talking/socializing. i know, the horror! this is supposed to be a work event! it's not supposed to be fun! he commented that it didn't seem to be "productive." i challenged him on the definition of this. if you're working at home by yourself and you're self-disciplined, yes, you could probably get more done in your own space. but the point of a coworking jelly, however is to come into a community and open yourself up to being "productive" not only by standard definition, but in non-linear ways as well. getting small business advice. making business contacts. participating in the community. giving and getting. getting out of your own shell, rethinking and if you let yourself, feeling inspired.

so was friday's jelly a "success?" did it live up to our vision? was it "productive?"

if we connected just two people, if we inspired someone in some small way, if we helped to make part of their friday workday...brighter, i say, hell. yeah.